FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 20, 2006
CONTACT: Joyce Faria Brennan
Media Relations
Southcoast Health System
Phone: 508-961-5270
brennanj@southcoast.org
www.southcoast.org/news/releases/
“Give a Pint ~ Get a Pound” this January at the Southcoast Blood Bank
“When someone donates a unit of blood, we thank them for helping to save a life or improving the quality of
someone's life.”
— Maureen Brown, Site Manager, Laboratory
St. Luke’s and Tobey Hospitals
NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — The Southcoast Blood Bank at St. Luke’s Hospital kicks off
another new year with Dunkin’ Donuts “Give a Pint ~ Get a Pound” promotion during the month of
January 2007.
“When you donate at a Southcoast blood drive you are helping to keep your local blood
supply strong. All blood collected stays local and is used at your local Southcoast Hospitals, this
means we have more control over our own blood supply and minimizes our dependency on nation
blood suppliers, which tend to run low in the winter months,” said Maureen Brown, Site Manager,
Laboratory for St. Luke’s and Tobey Hospitals. “The Dunkin’ Donuts Pint for Pound program is a
great way to thank our donors and allows us to increase the number of blood donations so we can
better meet the needs of our community.”
Anyone who donates blood at the Southcoast Blood Bank at St. Luke’s Hospital, or at any of
the community blood drives hosted by the Southcoast Blood Bank, will receive a certificate for a free
pound of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee, redeemable at participating Dunkin’ Donuts while supplies last
throughout the month of January. Thanks to Dunkin Donuts, the Southcoast Blood Bank has nearly
tripled its supply during the month of January over the past few years.
“During National Blood Donor Month, Dunkin’ Donuts hopes everyone will consider
donating blood to help their neighbors,” said Todd Wallace, Field Marketing Manager for Dunkin’
Donuts. “Dunkin’ Donuts is proud to partner with the Southcoast Blood Bank for another successful
year.”
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“Give a Pint ~ Get a Pound” this January at the Southcoast Blood Bank
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December 20, 2006
Where to donate
 The Southcoast Blood Bank: The Southcoast Blood Bank is located at St. Luke’s Hospital, 101
Page Street, New Bedford, off the main lobby. Walk-ins are welcome Monday through Friday from
8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesdays until 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 to 1:30 p.m. For more
information or to make an appointment call 508-961-5320 (www.southcoast.org/bloodbank/
 Community Blood Drives: Southcoast hosts blood drives throughout the region on the Southcoast
Health Van and at local businesses. The schedule can be found online at www.southcoast.org/van
or by calling 508-679-7131.
The Southcoast Blood Bank collects approximately 4,000 units of blood every year through
blood drives and another 3,000 unit in our Blood Donor location at St. Luke’s Hospital Blood Donor
facility. This accounts for approximately ninety percent of the blood used at St. Luke’s hospital alone.
Typically, St. Luke’s uses nearly 600 pints of blood a month.
In addition to emergency cases, blood is needed for people undergoing surgery, and patients
receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer, or other diseases, such as sickle cell anemia and hemophilia.
Local Businesses Needed to Host Blood Drives
The Southcoast Blood Bank is also looking for local businesses to host blood drives. Call
Sandra Pires, Blood Donor Coordinator at 508-961-5319 for more information or to schedule a drive.
“When someone donates a unit of blood, we thank them for helping to save a life or
improving the quality of someone's life. Whether it is a traumatic accident, oncology patient or a baby
in need of blood exchange, your blood donation helps save a life,” Brown said. “Every pint is critical
to the health of our community.
What to expect when you donate.
When prospective donors come to the Blood Bank, staff discuss their medical history and
make sure they are able to donate. Potential donors also fill out a confidential questionnaire on their
medical backgrounds. These measures safeguard the health of the donor as well as the health of the
person receiving blood. The whole process of the interview and the actual donating usually takes 20
to 25 minutes. The donor's body replaces the fluid lost from donation in 24 hours and the red blood
cells in about eight weeks.
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“Give a Pint ~ Get a Pound” this January at the Southcoast Blood Bank
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December 20, 2006
Who’s eligible to donate?
Blood donors should be in good health (no colds or flu), at least 18 years old, weigh at least
110 pounds, have not taken drugs or alcohol recently, are over 70 and have your physician's
permission. Donors who have traveled in Africa or have a tattoo should call first. Donors who have
spent more than three months cumulative in the United Kingdom since 1980 also should call first. For
more information on how to be a donor, call 508-961-5320.
Southcoast Health System, a not-for-profit charitable organization, is a community based
health delivery system with multiple access points, offering an integrated continuum of health
services throughout Southeastern Massachusetts and East Bay, Rhode Island. It includes Southcoast
Hospitals Group, formed in 1996 from the merger of Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River, St.
Luke's Hospital in New Bedford and Tobey Hospital in Wareham.
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